Gun mounting



Dec. 4, 1928.

J. B. HENDERSON GUN MOUNTING Filed Feb. 12, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet l llli k Inventor James ttlieriflers on i //[(i Ait0me* s Dec. 4,1928. f 1,693,712

J. B. HENDERSON GUfi MOUNTING Filed Feb. 12, 1927 ZSheQtS-SIIQG! 2 Inventor JmzesBHenderson J 6 Att0mqys levelling correction arises from inequalities of the ground and the correction is fixed-so long as the gun is stationary. V Butwith the introduction of mobile A; Af'gunsiadapte l rectioni is now being'experien'ced on land as Well-as at sea andmy lnvention is equally applicableto. bothcases, subject to certain modifications which 'will be explained afterwa rds.

' bracket 9'in whichis pivoted a *Fig. l 'shows a side elevation, partly; in section, of a g I cordance with my invention.

.. Fig. 2 13a plan view of the same mountings InF.1g;1atu'rntable liis shown supportedon balls 2, carried on ziball-rac'e13 secured to the deck 4. A centre pivot'f locates the training] axisof' the mounting andis' majde hollow for convenience inintroducing the variouselectrical cables'to'ithe mounting from'the direcfire control apparatus.

tor sight or other A training'ra'cl'r 6. is secu'redto the-deck and clips 7 7= carried by the turntable engage with the lower sicleof therack to prevent the To this platform is trunniens10 of the gun'cra'dle 11. i Atoothed segmental'rack 12 's attachedtq the'g un cradle and gearswith an f'elevating pinion 13011 a by bevel gearing '18 to an The wormwheel15 maybe secured to-the the pivot ofthe ;fork-10'by friction plates to training rack .16, and atits upper end with ferenti al gear, these pinions engaging in i the usual way wit-hopposing bevel wheels'2'l and [-28, to each of which is secured a worm wheel numbered 29 and 30 respectively. J The up per worm wheel29 isgeared to aworm 31 um n'iounting constructed in 1 aci V trunn on a:rat1o 'equalitojthe sine of the angle ofithe two movements is very nionsof the gun. I

separatep'ivotparallel withthat of the fork shaft 14 carried in bear-ingsi in 7 the arms of the fork A wormwheel 15 on the shaft 14 is engagedfbyfa worm 16*on'a shaft 1? connected elevating handwheel 19 on a shaft 20 which H iscarried in'bearings'in the arms of the fork 10. shaft 14' by -frictionplates in the customary manner to prevent the elevation control gear from-s'hocks o'rfrom' a sudden stoppageor frex'iersal ofthe handwheel 19. 5 a mAt' the "end "ofthe; pivot of the fork 10 is mounted j awo'rmwheel 21 in which engages a worm 21 o-n a shaft, 22 carrying a liandwheel 23. The wormwheel 21 may ;be' secured to which is-connected by bevel gearing to a training 'hand'wheel35';

- By-this method of connecting the cross,

levelling gearing of the fork 10 to the training gear of the turntable 1 the lateraldeviation of the gun resulting from the cross-- levelling adjustment about an inclined trunnion is "approximately neutralized by the simultaneous training movement .of'the turn.-

tableand cross levelling trunnion, provided T that thetraining movement bears to the cross j,

levelling displacement about the .inclined of'inclination of the cross-levelling trunnion to the plane ofthe'training rack i e. its 111" A clination to the. horizontal when the, training this is vertical. Thisproportionalrelation simply allowed for in the various gears of the cross-connec-. tion.--.-"

As a datum'of reference in'thehorizontal plane to enablel the cross levelling mecha nismto beroperated I attach a telescope 42 to the pivot of the fork 10 and normally hori- Zontal and parallel! "with the elevationtrum Alternatively,- if more convenient, the telescope may be mounted on a y 10 and coupled to the fork by a parallel linkage so'as to be maintained parallel with the elevation trunnions of the gun. -The sole requirement is that the telescope must rbenkept i gun in a position. convenient: to. the observer parallel with theelevatingtrunnions of the and sofas to give him a clear view ofthe horizon intheidirection of the gun trunnions, n A small platform 43 projecting from, the turn table maybe provided for the observer in the positionlmost convenient for him to operate" levelling handwheel 23 with his eye thecross at the eyepiece of the telescope 42. y

' Any'suitable form of sighting apparatus maybe attached to'the'gun or gun cradle or mounting, and toenable the gunto be operare fitted 'toindicatehthe position of thetturntable in relation to the deck and also the relations between-the gun and; turntable trainer seats-(not'shown) maybe carried by bracket fork 10 so that these the trunnion ated under the direction of, a controlling sight or. fire control apparatus. dials and pointers.

operatorsrwill sw ng withth'eugun whenit is I cross level-led, y

Instead ioflthe gun being adjusted hand any convenient form of power mot'ors may be t sothat the-.g-unwoan be elevatedpastgthe yertical. Fig. l the-gun is al-lowedl ruer an ieyedglaaa with heavy gunsuse of;

powerWilLbeessential; l Preferably the i mounting is arranged vation beyondthe vertical. 1- ;When: extra; elevation is thus provided 3 the *gun is able to engageaan overhead ftarg et, and 1 in th otgerhead zone of fire containedin. a cone avith sides inclined at 15 s tofjthe vertical: {axis of the mounting it is not necessary to use the} training gear, the target being followed by adjusting the gun through-the elevation andcross levelling gears alone,a separate'sight being providedrfor the cross levelling operator instead of the horizon telescope 42. The improved gun mounting herein described not only enables cross levelling to be performed with comparative case at any angle of gun elevation orany angle of tilt of the gun trunnions but it alsoenables-the gun to engage a target ivith rapidity at any position Within the range of the gun, l1ether the target is on the horizon or overhead. g Ithas already been stated that the invention is applicable to landordnance, but in v View of the fact'that on land the horizon is not a good datum of reference, the cross levelling. horizon telescope is unsuitable and could be replaced by a pendulum or level for stationary firing, or if firing on the move be contemplated then the pendulum or level should'have a long period, or better still, a gyroscope should be used- 1 Inaddition to gun mountings the invention is applicable to other mechanisms such as s1ghts,searchl1ghts, etc.,'wh1ch are sub]ect.

to deflection from a required direction by causes the same as, or similar to, those WlllCll create the necessity for the cross levelling correction of guns. In some cases the required direction of these mechanisms may be paral lel'to thelgun axis, or parallel to the line of sight, or it may be determined'by'quite different factors, butin all cases the disturbance produced by rolling'of the ship at sea or by unevenness of the'ground on land is the same andjthe correction is identical, at'least in 3 type. It is therefore evident that my inven tion isapplicable toall such types of directional mechanisms. a I v I claim I a l 1. The combination with a device mounted and simultaneously operable interconnections two trunnion axesare inclined. i a I 2. In a gimbal mounting fora gun or the 7 like, a gun, a pivotalsupport therefor pro 'vided With gimbal trunnions, and linkage in mechanism movable in accordancewith displacements of the support about the-'gimbal trunnion axes thereby causing displacement of jthe gunaboutaaln axisginclined; to both-off 1 said trunnion axes; 5 l a eeimba eue es-te aseem? hecomprisingapedestalhavinga ertical trains I 1 5 ing ILXiS, a. frame; carried; by said; pedestal i 5 displaceablegabout.anioblique cross levell ng g,

truli nionsiatfright anglesftobo-thsaidaxes. 1 i 3 'i gimbal moimthigforagun Orithliflie comprisingkaipedestal having a vertical trail 15 axisland gun mounted on said frame 0 ing fi Xis, armin carriedby saii pedestal and disp-lab eable aboutian ioblique cross levelling" ii I axis, a gun mountedon sa1d frame:o-n.t un- *nions at right angles toboth sa1dfaxes, and 1 y 1 i mechanism operable to displace said frame about the cross levelling axis and operatively connected ivi-th said pedestal w: proportionately displace the same about the training axis simultaneously frame about-the crosslevel'ling axis. p V

1 .5. A cross, levelling ,mechanism for guns,

tany displacement bfisaict Q 7 s5 orthe; like comprising a pedestal havinga 5 vertical training axis, training mechamsm V therefor, a frame'carried by said pedestal and mounted-ion 7 an oblique trunnion,.f operating means for effecting cross levelling movement of said frameabout the axis ofsaid tru'n? nion,andgearinginterconnectingsaid o e-at, cl ng-means and tralmng mechanism for com 7 -V bin ng the cross levelli g movement with that ofthe-traininginechan sm'. '1 .j U: 6. A cross'levelllng mechanism for guns or the like: comprising a pedestal having a' wer I for, a'fran'ie carried said pedestal and 'ti'caltraining axis, training-mechanism theremounted, on. an oblique trunnion, operating means for effecting cross levelling movement of saidframe' about the axis of said trunnion, and-mechanism including differential means operablein response to the actuation of said] operating" means and said training mecha-' ni'sm' tomodify that of the-latter.

'7 gimbal mounting for a. gun ortheflike d 7' comprising a pedestal having-a vertical train- I "ingi'a-xi s, a frame carried by said pedestal and 1? displaceable aboutanbblique cross'levelling axis, aygun mountedon said frame, and acjff. I tuating mechanism operatively connected to said frame and pedestal and operabletoj ef fect displacementsof thegnn about thetrain 7 *ing and cross levelling axes at a ratio'equal to; the sineof the angle of the cross levelling axis a to the horizontal when the training axis is 2 to be variously directed, of a support for thei device including trunni'ons' on two axes,

vertical. i-

A gimbaljmountin-gfor a gun or the like [comprising a'pedestal having a verticaltraina ing. axis; a frame ca-rriedbysaid pedest-aljand" j ,displaceable' about an oblique cross levelling f axis, a l-gun mounted on said frame, and faem P te h s n ou tmin mg and cross levelling axes is equal-tethesine of the angle of inclination of the cross" levelling axis to the'horizontz l When thetrain-f 'mg axls 1s vertleal.

compr sing ing ax s, a

19 nism eomprlsl ng a Hookes universal joint operzititely connectedto' saiid frame alncllpedestal and operable to efi'eot di'splacementsof the gunabout the training and enosslevellingi'a xes in,

a relation in which the ratio between the tanent-s of the angular displacements applied b u I to the gun about the tra nlng and gross levelling QLXQS iS equal to the sine of the angle of inclination of the cros slevelling axisto the horiz'ontal when the'triiming axis is vertical;

JAMES BLA KLooK HENDERSON. 

